


Reset: Loading File

by Samnyeong



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, M/M, bottom!Jun, brothers!CheolSol, brothers!SeokHoon, btw it's also an abo au, i literally mashed all the aus I wanted to write together, i'm so disappointed in myself, looks like angst but not really, supernatural gang au, top!vernon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 17:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9833498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samnyeong/pseuds/Samnyeong
Summary: What seemed like the right choice ends up turning the situation around horribly; what seemed like the wrong choice now seems like sweet release.Junhui wonders why he had to fall in love with the one person he shouldn't fall in love with.Jihoon certainly didn't have time to babysit, yet he was stuck "guarding" their hostage.Jisoo wanted to forget him, he had to forget him, but he couldn't forget him. The worst part? He knew deep down that he didn't want to forget him.Their relationship was built on lies and deceit in the first place, so why did Minghao feel guilty?Seokmin just wishes there was a reset button in life.





	1. First Move

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this was inspired by the chess concept performance. For the sake of not giving the plot direction away, S.Coups is not included in this list.
> 
> Note: Stage names act like code names, and for those who have code names, only those who are close can call them by their personal names (unless they're on a mission). Supernatural powers will be revealed throughout the plot.
> 
> Gavino Clan -  
> Vernon (leader, alpha)  
> Jeonghan (beta)  
> Hoshi (alpha)  
> Dino (omega)  
> Seungkwan (omega)  
> Wonwoo (alpha)
> 
> Fahroni Clan -  
> Mingyu (leader, alpha)  
> Jun (omega acting as a beta)  
> The8 (beta)  
> Woozi (beta)  
> DK (alpha)  
> Joshua (omega)

As most hangover stories start out, Junhui woke up with a splitting headache, and his "friends" weren't helping in the least. By friends, he meant subordinates, but that was what they called themselves in public, out of disguise (or rather, in disguise) and whatnot. The only remotely helpful person in the room was Jisoo, and that was a given, seeing as he was the Clan's doctor after all.

"Well, you know, at least we can be certain that he didn't impregnate anyone-" Seokmin had attempted to joke, but was quickly shut up by the piercing glares coming from Minghao and Jihoon. Those were the two Betas you really didn't want to get on the wrong side of, even though Seokmin was an Alpha himself.

"Be quiet, we're not at the base!" Jihoon hissed, shooting one last glare at Seokmin before returning to watching Jisoo check Junhui's vitals.

After all, it'd be disastrous if word goes out that Junhui, the second-in-command for the greatly feared Fahroni Clan, was an Omega.

Normally, Omegas weren't even allowed in Clans as "members", they were usually just "prizes" or "trophies" each Clan kept. Ah, yes, like the ones in the Gavino Clan. A.k.a., their number one rival and worst enemy. Meanwhile in the Fahroni Clan, their current leader didn't believe in that sort of stuff. After all, they were a fairly new clan with modern ideals, which made it possible for an Omega like Junhui to take a high ranking position. However, their strategist, Seokmin, still thought that it would be best for Junhui's safety if they told the public that Junhui's a Beta. He certainly had the built to pass off as one.

"You seem fine, physically." Jisoo finally said, rolling up his sleeves, "Time for the final step. You ready?"

Junhui nodded, closing his eyes and leaning forward as Jisoo held out two fingers. The moment he felt contact, an icy pulse rippled through his brain, it wasn't much different from an ice cream headache, just without the ice cream, obviously.

You would think that as a doctor, it might be much more convenient for Jisoo to have healing powers, but this way, it was easy for him to gather weaponry information from their enemies while treating patients. His gift allowed him to see flashbacks of his targets, but the catch was, they had to willingly let him in, he couldn't take them forcefully. Which was why they usually left interrogation jobs to Seokmin and Minghao.

But back to the matter at hand.

If Jisoo looked surprised by what Junhui's drunken events had to tell, he certainly didn't show it, and merely said that everything was fine, Junhui just needed rest. He then requested the other three to leave the room so that his patient could rest.

However, as soon as the door closed, Jisoo's gentle demeanor immediately hardened, "Junhui, you really don't remember anything?"

The hangover victim shook his head innocently.

Jisoo looked at him a while longer before heaving a deep sigh, "All right then... Just remember to drink plenty of water. I'll see you at the base later." Junhui nodded and watched as the older Omega gathered up his files and prepared to leave Junhui in peace. He stopped briefly at the doorway, turning slightly to look at the still very much hungover sorry excuse for a gang leader's right-hand person, "Before you see the others later, it's probably better if you put on a different set of clothes. The chocolate scent is still very much prominent."

Junhui stared dumbly as Jisoo exited the room. He continued staring a while longer before flopping down on his bed. His eyes fluttered slightly as he stared up at the ceiling, littered with glow-in-the-dark star stickers. It was a childish design, but to be completely honest, Junhui still couldn't get used to sleeping in complete darkness. Which was probably why he didn't refuse when the stranger he met at the bar yesterday offered to walk him home.

He tumbled slightly to the side, rolling a corner of his blanket with him. His sheets smelled fresh, the stranger had probably washed them for him before he left. Hm, talk about a nice aftercare. Yet, his thoughts continued to be filled up by the stranger's scent as he buried his face into his blanket. A very soft chocolate scent. It wasn't sweet like milk chocolate, but there was certainly a childish touch to it in comparison to dark chocolate.

Right, maybe Junhui should stop addressing him as "the stranger", for he remembered exactly who he was, and exactly what had happened. Of course he couldn't tell the others though, because it was none other than Choi Hansol. Their sworn enemy.

* * *

It was another day in the "war zone", another day of Mingyu insisting that Junhui stayed behind while the others actively defended their base from everyday offenders. Junhui scoffed, they were from some nameless newbie gang, it wasn't anything to make a big deal about. What was the use of having the title, "second-in-command", when he wasn't actually doing anything? To be honest, he was starting to feel like he was no better than the Omegas over in the Gavino Clan.

"Is it because I'm an Omega? Why won't you let me fight?" Junhui had demanded while walking after Mingyu once the short-lived battle was over and done with.

"Jun, you know that's not why..." Mingyu had said, smoothing down Junhui's hair, a gentle gaze in his eyes as he met Junhui's accusing glare, "It's just... not the right time."

"It's never the right time." Junhui had scoffed, jerking himself away from Mingyu. In the end, they were just another revolutionary Clan that claimed they were going to make great changes to the social hierarchy, but end up swallowing their promises for "complicated reasons". He didn't understand what was so complicated about simply letting him out of the base, they _knew_ he could fight. But somehow he's been seeing less action than he did while he was still stuck in a stereotypical Omega position.

With those thoughts in mind, Junhui got himself tipsy enough to be in a chatty mood at a nearby bar. He certainly wasn't expecting a certain Alpha to come wandering in so close to the Fahroni Clan's base by himself.

"Hey, you're Jun, aren't you? Kim Mingyu's right-hand man." Hansol had said, an unsuspecting wide smile on his face. It almost looked too innocent and childlike on a Clan leader, Junhui had noted to himself, "From that Macaroni Clan or something..."

"Fahroni..." Junhui had corrected with absolutely no enthusiasm.

Hansol had merely laughed and waved his hostile tone off. Ignoring Junhui's warning growl, Hansol took a seat next to the (as far as he knew) Beta. The evening continued with Hansol making passes at Junhui, and the latter not having any of it, feeling highly suspicious as to why the enemy Alpha was even trying to get on his good side. He hadn't missed taking his medication for a single day thus far, his Omega scent shouldn't be noticeable, so why was Hansol hitting on a Beta?

Junhui had refused to drink any more than he had once Hansol had made his presence known, but he found himself letting down his guard bit by bit as the Alpha chattered on, not caring that Junhui looked completely distant and disinterested. Perhaps it was the way his hazel eyes seemed to gleam under the dim lighting, or the way his smile hung in a lopsided manner, his demeanor a complete contrast to how a Clan leader should act. There was almost a childish curiosity about him.

Maybe that was why Junhui didn't back away when Hansol's face suddenly appeared at a much closer distance than it was a few seconds ago. Maybe that was why Junhui didn't push him away when he felt Hansol's lips connect to his own. Maybe that was why Junhui found himself closing his eyes and allowing the light chocolate scent to carry him away. Maybe that was why he found himself falling into Hansol's arms, his heart racing and heat rising to his face. Maybe that was why he simply nodded when Hansol asked if he needed help getting home. Thinking about how dark and cold his room seemed at that time, Junhui had thought it was the best choice.

Even though Junhui had spent most of his time marveling at how childish the widely feared Gavino Clan leader actually was, in bed, he was nothing close to the innocent puppy-like image at the bar. Junhui remembered the feeling of his canines sinking into his neck, as though to make a permanent mark on him. He remembered how he, himself, had repaid him by planting a kiss on his Adam's apple, sucking at it gently while the Alpha got rid of their clothes completely.

It all moved along quickly from there, and Junhui found himself willingly mewling under the Alpha, begging for the most shameful things at the top of his lungs.

"Who's fucking you now, huh?" He remembered the husky voice of the Alpha, _his_ Alpha, demanding in his ear, jerking Junhui's hips back against his own roughly when the Omega merely let out a whimper, "Answer me!"

"Choi Hansol..." Junhui was close to sobbing by then, feeling the tears rise from the intensity.

"Louder."

"Choi Hansol!"

"That's a good boy..."

Junhui pressed his face into his pillow, eyes half-closed as Hansol continued to do whatever he wanted with him, and the worst part? Junhui enjoyed it immensely. It was only after the moment they released in each other's embrace that he realized... There was no way he could keep his Omega identity a secret now.

With that panic-inducing thought, Junhui felt himself starting to black out, not before hearing a familiar gentle voice in his ear, "Rest well, my darling..."

* * *

Junhui's eyes fluttered open, his arms were gripped around a stuffed toy Husky pup. Rubbing away the remaining sleep in his eyes, Junhui tried to refocus his brain from the intense and steamy (albeit he would never admit it out loud) dream. What was he supposed to do? Oh right, Jisoo mentioned something about a meeting before he left...

"Holy shit, it's nighttime already?!" Junhui mentally slapped himself in the face as he scurried off to the bathroom, tossing his chocolate-scented clothes into the laundry basket and putting on a fresh set, just as Jisoo instructed.

On his way to the base, he was surprised at how peaceful it seemed. After last night, he thought he'd at least be tailed, but everything seemed to be going oddly smoothly. No news of him actually being an Omega popped up either. How odd.

"Jun, where have you been?! Joshua covered for you while you were gone, but Mingyu doesn't seem happy..." Minghao hissed, grabbing Junhui and dragging him by the arm the moment he stepped into the building.

"Sorry, I got..." _Distracted._ Junhui couldn't finish his sentence as a familiar chocolate scent tainted the air around him. He immediately felt his heart speed up, his body reacted before his brain as he raced down the hallway, ignoring Minghao's calls as the young Beta chased after him.

The scent stopped near the interrogation room, and Junhui found himself clawing against it, desperately trying to open it. Before he could potentially break a nail, a force threw him towards the opposite side of the hall, he winced as his back slammed painfully against the wall.

"Jun, what's gotten into you?!" Minghao scowled, trapping Junhui against the wall with his arms on either side of the Omega when the latter looked as though he were about to make another attempt at cracking open the door.

"...Tell me, The8, who's in there?" Junhui croaked, trying to look over Minghao's shoulder.

"One of Vernon's Omegas we caught. He seemed to have gotten lost in our territory, but that might be just an act." Minghao explained, arching an eyebrow at Junhui's paling face, "Seriously, you never know what those Gavino shits are thinking."

"...Yeah, you never know, huh..." Junhui mumbled. He then scowled and crinkled his nose. "Ming- I mean, The8, do you smell that?"

"What?"

"An apple scent..." Junhui leaned into the crook of Minghao's neck and felt the Beta tense up, "...The8, you-" The rest of his sentence was cut off by Minghao's hand over Junhui's mouth.

"Whatever you do, don't mention this to the others." Minghao's gaze was hard, and it was one of the few moments where Junhui was genuinely glad that looks, in fact, couldn't kill, "Understand?"

"Yes." The Omega replied obediently. While he was Mingyu's right-hand man, he didn't really mind that the other members sometimes spoke out of place to him, though that was only because they were friends before the whole Clan fiasco. But that itself was a whole other story.

With that, Minghao finally released Junhui from his arm trap, and hurried down the hall to where Junhui assumed to be the changing room. He shook his head. The door to the interrogation room clicked, and Junhui decided that he wasn't in the mood to see what sort of Omega Hansol favored and left. He thought he should give thanks to Jisoo for making up excuses for him, so he headed towards his office, only to run straight into a certain Clan leader.

"Mingyu..."

"Jun!" Mingyu's eyes widened, but quickly softened, a hand instinctively found its way into Junhui's dark locks, "Thank god, Joshua made it sound like you were dying, he said you weren't well enough for visitors, or even to walk... Who knew a little fever could blow up that big?"

"Oh, well, I feel absolutely fine now, haha... ha..." Junhui laughed robotically while Mingyu merely sighed in a relieved manner.

"You've probably been updated already, but we caught an Omega from the Gavino Clan. No matter what we did to him, he insisted that he didn't know anything." Mingyu noticed Junhui cringing slightly, imagining the torture tactics they might have used on the poor thing... Why did he even feel sympathy for him? Nonetheless, Mingyu felt that he should drop the topic, "I'm putting him under Woozi's surveillance for now."

"Woozi? Why?" Junhui blinked. The Beta was more of a behind-the-scenes staff for them rather than a brawn person, he usually locked himself in his office and did hacking work. He seemed like a less than suitable guard for an important hostage.

"...While we were in the interrogation room, Woozi spoke up for the Omega." Mingyu shook his head, "You know how he is, coldblooded on the outside, overflowing with kindness on the inside. It was the first time he acted on it though, so I made a gamble with myself."

Junhui studied Mingyu's expression. Some would say that he was way too young to be the leader of an entire Clan, but that could be said for Hansol as well. Yet, the two youngest headed Clans were currently the most powerful forces that all the others were aiming to crush. But the two Clans only had eyes for each other. How ironic.

"You're too kind, Mingyu." Junhui finally spoke, not moving his gaze away.

"I wish." Mingyu chuckled, ruffling Junhui's hair affectionately, "You should probably go rest. You just recovered, after all."

"...Yeah." For once, Junhui didn't refuse Mingyu's partial care towards him.

* * *

Junhui bit down on his bottom lip as he pushed open the entrance to the bar. For some reason, he had a feeling he'd find that guy there again, and his intuition was almost never wrong, including this time.

"Well, well, fancy seeing you here again." A smile immediately spread on Hansol's practically flawless features as Junhui came into his field of vision, which didn't take long at all. The Alpha had been looking around for quite sometime, secretly hoping that a certain Beta- no, _Omega_ , would be there.

"Why do you always hang out here? Don't you know that it's close to our territory?" Junhui demanded, trying hard not to be sucked away by the chocolate scent again. That damn lie-filled chocolate scent. Then again, did he really expect less from this bastard of a Gavino?

Hansol took a sip of whatever he was drinking and glanced towards Junhui with a teasing smirk tugging on his lips, "If I told you it was so I could meet you, would you believe me?"

"Be serious!" Junhui was beginning to lose his patience, "One of your lovers has been taken hostage by us, don't think I will fall for your little tricks again!"

The rivaling Clan leader looked mildly surprised before realizing what Junhui was talking about, "Oh, you're talking about Dino..." Junhui watched through narrowed eyes as Hansol stood up and made his way towards the older male, brushing a hand underneath his chin in almost a suggestive manner, "Is my Omega jealous?"

"Who the fuck- what- you son of a-" Junhui spluttered, definitely not used to the word coming out into the open in _that_ manner.

"Relax, it's not like that. It's true that Dino is- or rather, was, an Omega under my care, but we never did anything intimate. We grew up together, and our families expected us to form a contract, but that was against both our wishes." When Junhui didn't look completely convinced, Hansol leaned down and stole a kiss from the pouting Omega, "Trust me."

"...You know that's impossible, given our stances." Junhui replied stubbornly, crossing his arms.

Hansol chuckled softly, "Then trust my feelings, if nothing else."

Remembering that Hansol didn't spill his secret about being an Omega, Junhui felt himself soften slightly under the Alpha's earnest gaze. He closed his eyes and allowed Hansol to shower him with kisses on the forehead, on the eyelids, on the cheeks, on the nose, pretty much anywhere he could reach. "...But, Hansol..."

"Hm?" The Alpha hummed, seemingly pleased by the way Junhui called his personal name as he worked his way down the Omega's neck.

"Aren't you worried about that Dino kid?"

Hansol stopped, his brow furrowed slightly, "Of course I am, but..." the Alpha trailed off, seemingly recalling some sort of memory that he wasn't quite sure whether to tell or not just yet. "Well, I know things will work out. Dino is strong."

"...Even if he's an Omega?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Junhui's eyes widened slightly, before allowing a smile to spread on his face, "...Nothing." Gently, Junhui wrapped his arms around the Alpha's neck, pressing a kiss against the younger male's collarbone, "You Gavino people aren't so bad."

"I wish I could say the same for you guys, but you just took my best friend hostage." Hansol replied, but Junhui could tell that he was joking from the laughing tone in his voice.

Different from last time, things went a lot slower, and Junhui allowed himself to indulge in the affectionate little kisses that grew deeper each time they found each other's lips. Rather than hurrying to get to the fun part, they took their time to take in each other's scent. Soft chocolate... almost a hint of marshmallow. A sweetness that Junhui could get used to.

His head didn't feel all fogged up like last time as they formally connected, though Hansol couldn't help letting out a laugh when Junhui held his breath though the entire entrance procedure.

Sweat mixed with ragged breathing, mixed with overflowing love... _Love?_ Junhui thought to himself as he gazed at the Alpha above him. Did he love him? Of course he did, or he wouldn't be allowing this. He wouldn't _have_ allowed this. That was the only logical reasoning. But could people fall in love that easily?

"Junhui..." Hansol whispered, nuzzling into the crook of the Omega's neck, "Do you love me?"

"...Yes..." Junhui breathed out softly, tightening his arms around the Alpha and running his fingers through his hair, "I love you, Hansol... I love you..."

He felt Hansol smile against his neck, planting a kiss against Junhui's ear, "I love you more."

Junhui snorted. What a cheesy excuse for a Clan leader.

 


	2. Prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, this was a really tough couple to write for, especially given the Beta-Omega setting, so I'm not sure if I did them enough justice. Anyhow, yeah.
> 
> Warning: Soonyoung has a very dark depiction in this chapter, but don't worry, this will be explained in future chapters.

Jihoon wished that he wasn't so observant sometimes. It wasn't something he could help, literally. He was born with enhanced hearing- though he preferred the term, oversensitive hearing. Even though many were envious of him for having a supposedly "useful" gift, especially since he was in charge of the Clan's overall surveillance, he didn't understand what was so great about it. Didn't they know that there were things better left unheard?

He wished that people realized, it was basically like turning on a vacuum cleaner right next to one's ear, except there was no off button. Which was why Jihoon felt safer within his office and spent most of his time locked up in there, away from the dangerous world of sound. Of course, the custom built walls only minimized his gift so he still had advanced hearing, but at least it wasn't as overwhelming.

Now then, he really wasn't trying to brag when he said he knew mostly everything that goes on within their territory, because he did. But like he said, some things were better left unsaid, and unheard.

He glanced over at a pair of headphones next to his mouse. They were meant to minimize his gift even more, custom-made by... Well, let's just say they were from someone important to him. He's had them since he was a young boy, "that person" had used up all his pocket money to get the materials and eventually completed it through trial and error. 

Needless to say, Jihoon pretty much always wore them, they reduced his hearing to that of a normal person's. In addition to that, people also tend to leave him alone that way as well. It wasn't like Jihoon was completely anti-social, but, well, it's just that he'd rather be alone.

So he really had no idea what came over him when the group brought in an Omega from the Gavino Clan. No matter what sort of torture tactics they went through, the Omega refused to spill any information about his leader. When Mingyu gravely took out his phone to call Minghao over, Jihoon surprised himself by piping up, "Will his information really be reliable if we overdo it?"

"What do you mean?" Although he still had his business face on, Mingyu had lowered his phone slightly.

Jihoon took a deep breath. He knew that if anyone in the room could convince Mingyu to lighten his treatment on the Omega, it was Jihoon. The Alpha had always had a soft spot for his old friends, but again, that was a much longer and old story that Jihoon couldn't be bothered to think back on at the moment. "Well, look at him, he looks like he's about to faint. What if he just makes up some random information just so we'd let him go?" He really didn't have to get involved, but for some reason, his body simply acted on its own.

Mingyu looked at Jihoon with a hard gaze before finally putting his phone away, "Very well, we will end this session here then. However, I would like this Omega to be put under Woozi's surveillance."

And that was how Jihoon, a Beta with absolutely no combat desire to speak of, got stuck guarding a young Omega, the most important hostage they have ever gotten their hands on. But, well, Jihoon preferred the term _babysitting_.

* * *

 

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At first, Jihoon spent his days simply ignoring the additional body in the room, separated by a glass wall. It was designed so that Jihoon could see into the cell, but not vice versa. A button was placed on the top of Jihoon's desk which enabled him to talk with the Omega. To be honest, he really wasn't doing anything much. Even for meals, he could send it in with just a push of a button, no human contact needed at all. In a sense, this was indeed high-ranked surveillance, especially since the Omega was separated from, well... other prisoners.

But as the days progressed with the Omega being oddly obedient, eating meals regularly, and generally staying quiet while Jihoon worked, the Beta felt oddly uncomfortable. Their hostage was being a little _too_ obedient.

"Hey, what's your name?" Jihoon finally spoke one day.

The Omega looked surprised, lifting his head up from his folded arms. He stared blankly towards a random point on the glass wall in front of him, a look of disbelief on his face. He seemed to be wondering if he had simply imagined the question, and lowered his head back down.

"Well, mine's Woozi-"

"Lee Jihoon, code name Woozi. Yeah, you're pretty famous around here." The Omega cut in, an almost teasing smile on his face as he tilted his head to the side, "The rumors were true, you're tiny."

Jihoon spent the rest of the day building a death-ray.

 

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Jihoon learned from Seokmin that the Omega's name was Lee Chan, code name Dino. He couldn't help rolling his eyes. What a supposedly ferocious-sounding name from a harmless Omega who did nothing but pace around his cell in those dumb white prisoner clothes Mingyu had instructed him to wear. It wasn't like they had a uniform for their prisoners and hostages, but Chan didn't complain about the special treatment even once. In fact, even though Jihoon never bothered to reply, Chan would always randomly start up some sort of conversation and go on and on by himself.

Somehow it got on Jihoon's nerves.

"You seem oddly carefree. Why can't you just be quiet and sit there like the Omega in distress you are?" Jihoon grumbled, dragging multiple files into the trash bin while keeping one eye on the surveillance camera screens he had open on the side, "Your Alpha sure is taking his sweet time though."

That seemed to shut Chan up for a bit, the carefree gleam in his eyes had darkened, replaced by that of defiance as he stopped in his pointless activity of studying the wall's texture and pattern.

"He won't come for me." Chan replied, the defiance in his gaze didn't lift one bit as he stared through the glass in Jihoon's direction. His gaze was so intense that Jihoon could have sworn he could see exactly where he was despite the one-way mirror in place.

"Yet you claim he's your best friend?" Jihoon prompted, his tone flat. He didn't mean to sound cold, but it just came out that way.

"It's not about that, it's about trust."

Jihoon closed his eyes, removing his hand from the communication button. Trust... An Alpha trusting a mere Omega. While the Fahrinos were still attempting to show it to the public, the Gavinos were actually acting on it. He didn't know if he wanted to continue this babysitting job. He was learning way too many things he probably would have been better off not knowing.

"Hey, Jihoon?"

"Woozi." Jihoon corrected dryly.

"Woozi," Chan rolled his eyes, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"You should be worried about yourself." Jihoon grumbled.

"Oh, I get fed regularly, but you, you seem like the type to skip meals for your oh-so-important work."

 _Cheeky brat._ "You know nothing about me."

"True, true."

Jihoon watched as Chan tilted his head slightly, resting his head against his now folded up knees. He was supposed to be a prisoner, yet he looked so comfortable in that sorry little cell of his. Jihoon thought to himself, then looked around his own space. He was pretty much stuck in here 24/7 doing hacker work for the Clan, he didn't have time to relax at all. At that moment, he felt like he resembled a prisoner more than the Omega.

Sure, he was the one who locked himself in there, the others always told him he needed to eat his meals properly, but, heh... What did they know? Did they know that if he left for even a second the whole system may just break itself down? What if while he was eating leisurely, a hacker from an enemy Clan breaks in? Did they really know the consequences-

"Chan!" Jihoon suddenly yelled out, his eyes widening as the figure on the other side of the glass collapsed to the floor. Without thinking, he unlocked the doors and charged into the cell, "Chan, wake up, wake up!"

The small figure in his arms suddenly sprang back to life, giving the Clan hacker a playful poke in the cheek, "You finally called my name!"

 _...Cheeky brat._ Jihoon thought to himself, but couldn't help smiling.

"Wow, you can smile!" Chan's eyes grew wide in a childish manner as he poked a finger against Jihoon's cheek, "Dimples."

Far from swatting the Omega's hand away like he usually would have to any sort of skin-ship, Jihoon allowed Chan's fingers to wander along his face, eventually finding the Omega's hand cupped against it. He raised an eyebrow.

"You know, for a Beta, you have an oddly small built."

All right, where did he put that death-ray?

"But now that I've taken a closer look, you kind of have a face of an Alpha." Chan mused, leaning in closer, wonder in his eyes as he studied Jihoon's features closely. His eyes, nose, and mouth were all delicately sculpted, his skin was smooth, almost like a newborn child's. Yet there was a certain masculinity to his gaze that sent slight shivers down the Omega's spine. Should a Beta really have that kind of effect on him?

Seeming to have sensed Jihoon's slight discomfort towards the skin-ship, Chan pulled away, "Sorry, it's just been a while since I've come in contact with someone."

"Well, yeah, you've been here for almost an entire month-"

"It's not that..." Chan sighed, subconsciously leaning his head against Jihoon's shoulder, "They used to keep me in a cage over there as well."

 

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There were a lot of things Jihoon wanted to ask but felt that he shouldn't. If Chan claimed that Hansol trusted him to return on his own, why was he kept in a cage? Was Hansol even the one who put him there? From what they knew about the enemy Clan leader, he was a cold-blooded dictator in his area who would do anything in order to gain advantage for himself.

Oddly enough, Jihoon felt that if he waited patiently, Chan would eventually explain to him one day. What was this called again? Ah, yes, trust. Should he really be feeling that towards the enemy Clan's "queen"?

"Mingyu, just once, let me take charge of the front lines-"

"Jun, please, just go home for today."

"For _today_? Yeah, right..."

Jihoon paused his thoughts, his headphones were worn lopsidedly so that only one ear was covered. Since he was no longer in the surveillance room, he needed to activate his gift just a little to keep guard on the activities within the base. This argument between Mingyu and Junhui was no news to Jihoon, but what made him stop was how different Junhui sounded in comparison to the last time they talked.

His voice didn't change, obviously, but there seemed to be a new layer of dismay in his voice as Mingyu walked away, leaving him in the hallway. Usually Junhui only sounded frustrated, disappointed, but not close to desperation like now.

"Mingyu... If you can't see me as a fighter, I might actually..." Junhui murmured to himself, watching as their leader disappeared into the conference room.

Jihoon took a couple of steps closer towards the Omega, studying his face closely. He wasn't the best at reading facial expressions, but this was definitely not one he was used to on his usual cheerful, almost close to immature friend. "Jun?"

"Jihoon! I mean... Woozi..." Junhui sighed, shaking his head. He's been so disconnected from missions that he was getting used to calling the members by their real names instead of their code names, "Mingyu told me about your little side job, how is that going?"

"Surprisingly well, in fact, I just got permission to take him out for a while, as long as it's still within the base's territory." Jihoon replied, indicating towards the paperwork in his hands as well as the long chain he was supposed to keep Chan on. They weren't kidding when they said prisoners should be treated like dogs... "But more importantly, you two are really not progressing at all, huh?"

A look of surprise came over Junhui's face, but he quickly recovered, "What are you-"

"You and Mingyu. We all know you've liked him for a while." Jihoon replied bluntly, not bothering to circle around the topic like Seokmin or Minghao would have probably done. Jisoo would have done it in a much gentler manner as well, but let's be serious, they weren't going to get answers like that.

Junhui blinked slowly, then smiled bitterly, "Why is it so easy for everyone else to see except for him...?"

"You know," Jihoon chose his words carefully, looking into Junhui's eyes in the sincerest manner he could muster, "Mingyu obviously returns your feelings. You are special to him, that's why he's so scared of you getting hurt. He moved you up to his side so that he'd be able to protect you better-"

"That's the thing, you see?" Junhui sighed, "I don't need someone to protect me, I just need someone to trust me."

 _Trust._ Jihoon mused. He simply nodded in understanding as Junhui hastily apologized for venting to him, then excused himself. Meanwhile, Jihoon seemed to have found the answer to Mingyu's slight disconnection with the rest of them. Trust. It wasn't that Mingyu didn't trust them, he just couldn't trust himself. After all, because of his misjudgment a few years back, they lost an important companion.

Jihoon sighed. He was honestly too kind.

_[Loading file... 66%]_

For someone who claims to have rarely been let outdoors, Chan blended in surprisingly well. They were only allowed to go as far as the back garden, well within everyone's sight from the base, but it didn't seem like Chan had the intention nor ability to escape. At least at that point.

"Here, I made this for you!" Chan said, thrusting a bundle of flowers into Jihoon's face, "Aren't they pretty? They're made up of my favorite colors! Come to think of it, what is your favorite color, Woozi?" Chan asked, rubbing a petal between two fingers.

Jihoon felt his mouth go dry and he subconsciously tugged at the headphones resting around his neck. The garden was a pretty secluded area in terms of outside activities and sound, so it was one of the few places Jihoon felt safe without his headphones on, "I'm... colorblind."

He saw Chan immediately freeze up, realizing how insensitive of a question he had asked, "I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's fine, I never told you." Jihoon replied, ruffling Chan's hair in an almost affectionate way (but Jihoon wasn't going to admit it), "I wasn't born this way, but I can't really remember either, sorry." He lied. Colors had never once left his dreams, or at least the "feeling" of color. Back then, the world seemed so much more interesting, and far brighter than his current monochromatic life.

But was it really because of color? Or was it because of _him_? Either way, it wouldn't have worked out. It was impossible between an Alpha and a Beta. Jihoon always thought he was weird... He should be happy to be born as a Beta, he was "normal", he could have lead a much less complicated life unperturbed by heats, societal levels and all that shit, but no, he just had to develop unusual feelings for a fucking Alpha.

All he knew, was that the day "he" left him, so did the colors in his world.

"Tadah!" Chan suddenly snapped Jihoon out of his thoughts. The Omega had plucked all the petals off of the flowers he had freshly picked, throwing them up into the air above Jihoon's head. He felt them scatter down on top of him, some catching in his hair, on his shoulder, tickling against his nose in the gentlest manner. The younger male laughed, leaning against Jihoon's shoulder as the petals continued to drift down around them. In Jihoon's eyes, they looked like snowflakes, just in different shades.

However, he was much more drawn to the laughing figure next to him, and he merely watched as Chan's laughter slowly died down until only a smile remained as he looked back at Jihoon. Gently, Jihoon brushed away a petal from Chan's bangs, and leaned forward until his lips lightly brushed past the Omega's forehead.

He thought back to what Junhui had told him a while ago at a bar in a half-drunk state, "Why do I always fall for the wrong person?"

 

_[Loading file... bby 89%]_

He should have saw it coming. He shouldn't have allowed himself to be drawn in. He didn't think he would be influenced by an Omega's charms as a Beta, but there was the proof right in front of him. Chan had escaped.

When he checked into the office, the cell was empty. How Chan escaped was the furthest thing he was thinking of as he charged out of the room, not caring about how many people he had accidentally knocked over as he made his way out of the building. He was in such a rush that he failed to realize he had left his headphones on his desk.

Even as the sound of traffic hit him wave by wave, to the point that he thought he was about to faint, Jihoon pushed on, trying to catch on any slight whispers or even the sound of Chan's breathing. He successfully tracked it to a crossroad, the busiest area in the entire city, he would almost say. The rushing cars, squabbling crowds, advertisement videos playing almost everywhere, Jihoon felt like his head was about to split open.

"Oh, hey, Jihoon! It's been a while~"

Jihoon looked up painfully, his hands covering over his ears as a smiling figure came into sight with Chan by their side. Jihoon cursed himself for feeling relieved that Chan hadn't been captured by his own subordinates and killed off.

"You look like you're in pain, what happened to those headphones I got you?"

"Soonyoung..." Jihoon managed to grunt out, feeling himself topple forward as a bus zoomed right past his ear.

"I didn't think you'd grow that fond of our Dino though, that was a shocker." Soonyoung continued to ramble on, a sick smile on his face as Jihoon continued to twist painfully from the over-stimulation. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he could literally feel his brain crumbling into bits every time a car honked (which was often), or a motorcycle roared past him.

"Soonyoung, give him back..." Jihoon managed to struggle out, trying to keep his eyes on the two Gavinos in front of him.

"Why? In the first place, he belongs to us, we're just taking back what's ours~"

Jihoon bit down on his bottom lip until he felt an iron taste spreading into his mouth and dark droplets fell onto the pavement at his feet, attempting to distract himself from the overwhelming screeching coming from practically everywhere, "He's..."

"What? Are you trying to say he's yours?" Soonyoung laughed, it almost sounded like a cackle to Jihoon as the latter fell to the floor onto his knees, clutching his head painfully, "You're a Beta, what can you possibly do for him? Even if you can deal with heats, you can't mark him." The Gavino agent leaned down, his face pressed close to Jihoon's, a mocking smile on his face, "But do you know who can? Our leader, his rightful Alpha. Heck, even _I_ can mark him-"

"Don't you dare!" Jihoon rasped, crashing his forehead against Soonyoung's as hard as he could, briefly stunning the agent. Taking his chance, Jihoon ran towards Chan, but felt his mind blank out before he could reach the Omega.

"Jihoon!"

 

_[Loading file... bby 99.999999%]_

"Doesn't this remind you of something?"

"That time the orphanage caught on fire..."

"Do you think he's going to lose his sense of smell this time?"

"For fuck's sake, DK, it's not the time to joke!"

Jihoon scowled slightly, opening his eyes to the squabbling noises of very familiar yet very annoying voices. There was Jisoo, trying to quiet everyone down; Seokmin, Minghao, and Junhui were standing around the bed in a semi-circle; Jihoon recognized Seokmin and Minghao to be the main arguers.

"...I'm going to ask a question, and please do not answer me all at the same time. What happened?" Jihoon spoke, his scowl deepening as all four opened their mouths, "I said not at the same time."

"The Omega you were guarding brought you back. Dino, was it? Seemed like a nice kid, too bad he's a Gavino." Seokmin explained, needlessly adding his own personal comments here and there.

"Where is he now?" Jihoon managed to fight back the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes he couldn't believe he was related to the Alpha who constantly seemed like he had a screw loose. It was an on-going mystery within the group.

For once, Seokmin fell quiet, exchanging glances with Minghao and Junhui.

"He surrendered." Junhui said in a soft tone, brushing a hand over Jihoon's shoulder in a comforting manner, "Mingyu put him back in his cell, and that's that for now."

"What do you mean 'that's that'? He escaped from that cell once, why is he putting him back in there without placing extra security?" Jihoon demanded, wondering if Mingyu had gone through another one of his softhearted episodes.

"Well..." Junhui tilted his head to the side, a lost look on his face as he recalled the memory, "If you had been conscious, Jihoon, you would have felt it, too. The desperate look on the Omega's face when he carried you in; the broken tone in his voice when he begged for Jisoo to help you... And the relief in his eyes when we told him you were going to be fine."

Minghao came over to sit at the edge of Jihoon's bed, fumbling with the bed sheets absentmindedly, "Even I was stunned. It was just so obvious."

"...What was?"

The younger Beta cast a look over at the hacker that suggested he was stupid, "The kid loves you."

 

_[Load file... bby complete]_

"Jihoon, do you want to check out what Jun showed me yesterday?"

"Jihoon, look what The8 gave me!"

"Jihoon, want me to tell you a joke DK taught me?"

"Jihoon, I'm going to go help Joshua with-"

Finally ripping apart his indifference, Jihoon stopped Chan from coming out of the cell and shoved him towards a corner, clamping a pair of handcuffs on Chan's wrist to the leg of a chair. Rather than a cell, it was more like Chan's personal room. He was allowed to walk in and out freely under one of the higher-ranked members' surveillance, namely Jisoo, Junhui, The8, Mingyu, DK, and Jihoon. But wasn't he getting a little too comfortable with the others?

"Um... Jihoon?" Chan asked nervously, tugging at the handcuffs uneasily.

"Go on, I'm listening." Jihoon replied, leaning closer into Chan's face.

"Uh, well, uhm..." Chan's face had become a darker shade as he glanced away, "Joshua said- Ow!" The Omega winced as Jihoon sank his teeth into a particular spot in his neck. A grape scented wave emitted from Chan as he struggled weakly against Jihoon, pushing his hands against the older male's chest, "Geez, don't you get jealous a little too easily?"

Jihoon made an immature noise that sounded similar to whining, "Well, I can't mark you so can you really blame me?"

Chan sighed, running a hand through Jihoon's hair. He was surprised at first to see that even Jihoon had his childish moments, but at the same time, happy to feel that he was an exception to Jihoon's usual indifference, "You can't trust me even though I left an Alpha for you?"

The Beta considered the matter for a moment before burying his face into the crook of Chan's neck, "...Fine."

The Omega let out a laugh at Jihoon's grudging tone, kissing the Beta's cheek teasingly, "You can always come hangout with the rest of us if you're going to be so possessive." He laughed again when Jihoon scowled, seriously considering between the importance of him staying inside the room because of his job and following Chan around 24/7, "I'm just kidding, getting you kicked out of the Clan is the last thing I want to do."

Jihoon stared at Chan for a while longer before rubbing his forehead against the Omega's, "Even though it's not a permanent mark, it'll probably keep the others off you."

"Geez, you're really..." Chan rolled his eyes, but snuggled into Jihoon's chest comfortably.

As Junhui passed by, he quietly took a picture of the almost sickeningly sweet scene and sent it over to Hansol.

_Your best friend is doing more than fine here, so don't worry..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JunGyuSol is kind of a love triangle, but at the same time not. Let's just say JunGyu's relationship is like that of a mutual childhood crush where you continue to dart around each other until you eventually both miss your chance, now they're generally just dancing between the line of friendship and "love". JunSol's relationship is more mature and less complex in terms of the "nature" of it.
> 
> On the other hand, SoonHoon's relationship is past!onesided, much more straightforward than the other side relationship lines going on.


	3. Eternity Never Lasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of suspense is introduced in this chapter, but don't worry, they will all be answered soon. Also, keep in mind that Jisoo's diary is not reliable. The tags are a big hint (or rather, the lack of tags)

Jisoo had always been a strong believer in fate. As a matter of fact, when he first met Wonwoo, he could have sworn he _felt_ fate itself bringing them together. They were immediately attracted to one another, and from then on, there was almost a zero percent chance of catching one of them without the other. So of course, when both of them matured and realized their roles as an Alpha and Omega, no hesitation remained.

All his life, Jisoo had been stuck in this orphanage, but at least he wasn't alone, nor did he feel sorry for himself. After all, you can't mourn over something you never had in the beginning. In addition, the place was rowdy enough as it was, the younger kids were constantly filled to the brim with energy, and the older kids were... well, they actually weren't that much different from the younger kids, but at least they could keep their composure when visitors came.

It wasn't until later they realized what the nature behind "adopting" a child was from their particular orphanage...

Gifts. They all knew they had them, they just didn't know it was abnormal to have gifts. Most of these kids weren't abandoned, they were forcefully taken away from their families by the government, placed in this so-called "orphanage", and wait. At the time, Jisoo didn't know that they were basically farm animals and would soon each be sold off to their respective markets.

At the time, Jisoo still wanted to innocently enjoy life in ignorance, with Wonwoo by his side, of course. He never would have imagined how the arrival of a man in black would change his entire life.

It started out as a normal day, Jisoo had woken up in Wonwoo's arms as usual. What was different, was that the Alpha had woken up before him, and was intently staring at the Omega's morning face. Jisoo hurriedly wiped the drool off his face and attempted to comb out his hair with his fingers, nonchalantly greeting Wonwoo.

The Alpha merely chuckled, planting a kiss on the Omega's forehead.

The other kids were rowdy as usual. Even though it was still early in the morning, Jisoo heard Junhui nagging Mingyu to turn off the alarm clock, kicking his roommate, and attempting to roll him off the bed. Jihoon had buried his face into the pillow, trying to block out Soonyoung's snoring. On the other hand, Seungkwan and Seokmin had their arms around each other, sleeping soundly. Jeonghan and Seungcheol were outside already, taking a peaceful walk around the yard together.

Later in the day, Wonwoo was called to the office after lunch, and Jisoo waited patiently for him in the playground, nodding absentmindedly to whatever nonsense Soonyoung was babbling on about. Wonwoo eventually did emerge, but not in the way Jisoo had imagined.

He was surrounded by a group of men in black suits, like they were taking him prisoner or something. Whatever the case, the atmosphere definitely didn't seem right. Instinctively, Jisoo walked over to the group along with the other kids, who have all crowded over curiously. This wasn't the first time a kid was being adopted, but certainly not in such an almost menacing way.

"Wonwoo, what's going on?" Jisoo called, having finally succeeded in squeezing himself to the front. One of the men turned to glare at him, and Jisoo felt a shiver run down his spine, he could have been knocked over just from the sheer hostility.

The Alpha turned towards Jisoo, but as though on cue, the men surrounding the young male took out their guns and pointed them at the defenseless children. Seungcheol and Jeonghan immediately pushed the younger kids to the back, Jisoo stayed rooted to the spot, frozen in both shock and fear. He heard Jihoon cry out painfully and Soonyoung putting his hands over the younger's ears. Seokmin, who was usually a jester even in serious situations, stared at the men with a hard gaze, shoving Seungkwan behind him.

All of them watched on as the men, still surrounding Wonwoo, made their way out of the orphanage. They didn't even bother to open the gates, they simply blew down the fence with their terrifying weaponry.

It wasn't until Wonwoo almost had one leg inside a black vehicle that it dawned on Jisoo. They were taking his Alpha away. Where was "away"? It didn't matter, if it wasn't right next to him it was out of the question.

Seeming to have read Jisoo's thoughts, Mingyu reached forward and grabbed onto the older boy before he could bolt. The others were slower to react, but eventually, Jisoo found himself being held back by Minghao and Junhui, in addition to Mingyu.

"No, please, you can't take Wonwoo away!" Jisoo screamed, doing his best to free himself from the others' grasps, eventually running into the broken down fence that served as a barrier between them and the rest of the world. Or at least that was how it felt like to him back then.

Jisoo felt a broken wire snag his ankle, but he couldn't care less as he attempted to break through the barrier with brute strength alone. He winced as more wires came loose, slicing open his skin. He saw Wonwoo look back with alarm.

"Wonwoo... don't go..." Jisoo begged, reaching out a hand as the boy came running back with a couple of men in black suits following after him, and to Jisoo's utter horror, armed. Were they going to shoot Wonwoo?

"Jisoo..." Wonwoo whispered, touching the Omega's pale face with soft finger tips, "Do you love me?"

"Yes... I love you so much..." Jisoo croaked with a broken voice, feeling all the screaming and crying taking a toll on his throat, "Please, Wonwoo, don't go..."

The Alpha sighed, relieved. Gently, he touched their foreheads together and pressed a soft kiss along Jisoo's still wet tear tracks, "That's all I need to know..."

"Wonwoo, no!"

"Seungcheol," Wonwoo called, looking over Jisoo's shoulder at the group of remaining kids, all huddled together, some in fear, some were calming down the younger children, and some looked on with hatred towards the men wrapped in black clothes, "Promise me one thing. Don't let Jisoo hurt himself over me again."

The oldest boy nodded solemnly, coming over to bring Jisoo back to the group, coaxing him gently, "Let's go..."

"No! Seungcheol, let go..." He felt another pair of arms grab onto his right while Seungcheol tugged him back on the left, "Jeonghan, what are you doing? They're taking away Wonwoo... WHY ARE YOU LETTING THEM TAKE AWAY WONWOO?!"

"Hey, shh, it's okay..." Jeonghan whispered, turning Jisoo's face towards his own, staring deeply into his eyes, "It's all going to be fine..."

"Jeonghan, no, please..." Jisoo begged, but the older boy snapped his fingers together, and everything turned dark.

* * *

After that day, Jisoo's life had just been a total and complete disaster. But he didn't hold grudges against the others for holding him back, he understood what they were thinking. They couldn't save Wonwoo anymore, but they had to at least save Jisoo.

Ever since the visit from the men in black suits, the orphanage became more of a survival camp. Under the lead of Seungcheol and Jeonghan, the kids started rebelling against the staff members at the facility; attacking any "visitors" that came until the place was eventually abandoned, deserted, at least by any government personnel.

There, the kids fended for themselves. Everyday was like a war zone, they never knew if the black suited men would one day show up again. Jisoo, for one, couldn't wait for them to step foot within his territory again. His blood boiled with the desire for revenge, there was no trace of the usual softness he used to be so famous for within the orphanage.

He began to keep a diary for himself, and he still leafed through the pages from time-to-time to present day.

 

** Day 32 **

_Jihoon said he heard movement up East, Mingyu sent Junhui to check it out. That guy is definitely the best choice as a spy, I'm sure we'll hear good news soon._

**Day 34**

_Junhui is not back yet, but Jihoon claims that "they" are getting closer. What is taking that kid so long? Seungkwan went to track him._

**Day 40**

_They took Seungkwan. Junhui is dead._

**Day 41**

_Seungcheol had to Reset Seokmin. We considered Resetting Mingyu, but he seemed to be holding himself together pretty well. Much better than how the others are holding up. This is our first death. Ever._

**Day 52**

_They're here._

 

He watched as bullets flew everywhere, his companions shouted at each other over the sound of explosions, but he was only focused on one thing. Seungcheol was bleeding to death in front of him, but he had no idea what to do. He should probably stop the blood... but how? With what?

"You idiot!" Jisoo spat out. He could literally see Seungcheol's life draining as the glow in his eyes dimmed, the sight was unbearable, but he couldn't look away. It would be an insult to turn away now, especially because he just took a bullet for Jeonghan, "That was just reckless!"

"You... were going to do the same thing..." Seungcheol rasped out, looking up at Jisoo with unfocused eyes.

"Don't die, don't die... You can't die..." Jisoo's voice rose to a wail as Seungcheol's eyelids began to close, "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!"

Using the last ounce of his strength, Seungcheol coughed, and managed to choke out his last words, "If you ever meet up with Wonwoo again... Tell him that I'm sorry... I couldn't keep my promise..."

"Seungcheol, no, no, you're going to live, we'll just get you to the doctor, and-" Jisoo stopped. The hand he had been clinging to this entire time had turned cold. The fingers that were curled around his had grown limp.

He was gone.

"This can't be happening..." Jeonghan's voice trembled, his fingertips touched their leader's cheek, his entire body shivered from the cold contact. It was the first time since they've known each other that Jisoo saw Jeonghan shed tears.

But he couldn't bring himself to cry. He felt like all of his tears had already been wrung dry on the day Wonwoo was taken away. Even while they were bidding farewell to Junhui, Jisoo felt overwhelming sadness, but no tears came. His eyes were red, but nothing came out. More than sadness, more than dismay, he felt rage.

"Soonyoung!" Jisoo turned at the sound of Jihoon's wail. The entire building had caught on fire, and the younger boy was trapped in flames. Before Jisoo could do anything, Soonyoung rushed into the flames, picking Jihoon up in his arms. But as he turned to exit the building, the entire facility came crashing down, seemingly right on top of the two.

The flames continued to burn, everything around them turned dark, embers sparked into the smoky air.

"We can't stay here anymore..." Jisoo murmured.

 

**Day 53**

_Found Jihoon. They took Soonyoung._

**Day 54**

_I took Jeonghan to the doctor's. They said he needed to be transferred to a mental hospital. They wouldn't tell me the address, and I never got to see him afterwards. We've been played again._

**Day 55**

_I think I want to become a doctor._

 

The long battle of endurance was over, and although it was painful to admit it, they lost. The group was forced to separate, each heading off to fight their own battles from then on. As for Jisoo? He managed to be sold off to a pretty well off mafia whom provided him the money for medical school. Even after years, Jisoo still couldn't forget the fact that, if he had been just a little more useful in the medical aspect, he probably could have saved Seungcheol, maybe even Jihoon, who had suffered a heavy blow to the head and lost his ability to identify colors.

He was successful in his chosen field, and was soon promoted as the group's medical officer. But one day, they brought in an injured man dressed in black, a very familiar family crest on his uniform.

Jisoo saw red. Kicking the man onto the floor, he grabbed a gun from under the bed, pointing it directly at the mafia member. Even in his dreams, that crest never failed to haunt him. It was the same one that took Wonwoo from him forever.

He stared blankly at the man before him, his hand steady as he pressed the gun into his forehead, so hard that a red ring had begun to form around the tip. It was them. Seungcheol wouldn't have died if it weren't for them. Jeonghan wouldn't have gone insane if it weren't for them. Wonwoo was everything to Jisoo; and the day "they" showed up was the day Jisoo lost everything.

He laughed and removed the gun from his target, pointing it towards himself instead. What was the point anymore? He had tried to put everything behind him, start a new life, but in the end, what was it all for?

Suddenly, he heard commotion in the hallway, sounds of people yelling, scrambling, and then, deadly silence. Jisoo slowly brought the gun down, his eyes boring holes into the door, waiting patiently for it to open. And when it does, he'll shoot.

"Jisoo!"

The voice caught him by surprise, and he watched as the intruder pulled off his mask, revealing soft silver locks, and a friendly smile, "Jihoon was right, you were here!"

"M-Minghao...?" Jisoo spoke slowly, disbelief in his eyes. How long had it been since they last saw each other? It must had been at least three years.

"Come on! We'll explain on the way." Minghao smiled, pulling Jisoo over to his side of the room, "Hold on, let me take care of something first." He had barely finished his sentence when the Beta simply picked up a knife from the operation table and stabbed it into the man Jisoo was supposed to be tending for. Perfect aim, straight into the heart. Minghao didn't even blink as he left the room, pulling Jisoo with him.

The Beta even hummed as he walked down the hall of dead bodies, mostly likely from his work. Jisoo stared at the scarily carefree boy. He's definitely grown, but that was all Jisoo could say.

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here." Jisoo said, tucking his hands into his pockets as he walked into the bar, greeted by the sight of Junhui and Hansol having their "secret rendezvous", as expected.

"Oh, Joshua-" Junhui got up quickly, putting a hand over Hansol's to stop him from reaching for his gun, "It's fine, he's trustworthy."

The older Omega raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He's known about their relationship since it started, after all, he was the one who gave Junhui the checkup. He even gave him a pregnancy test at one point just for safe measures. As far as he knew, he was probably the only person from both Clans who knew about their situation, but it didn't give him a sense of relief at all.

"Jun, The8 was looking for you, he needs you to sign a couple of documents..." Jisoo continued, ignoring Hansol's hostile glare, "Also, Mingyu wanted to talk to you about your new mission."

"About time!" Junhui's eyes immediately sparkled at the possibility of him finally seeing some action and hopped off his seat, giving Hansol a quick peck on the cheek before heading towards the door, "I'll see you after work!"

"Yeah." Jisoo and Hansol both answered at the same time, then looked at each other with equal hostility. It was a good thing Junhui was already out the door by then, or the scene would have become much more problematic than necessary.

The Fahroni doctor examined the situation carefully. He wouldn't stand a single chance in a brawl with this guy one-on-one, but he knew he wasn't in danger. After all, he had established his position in Junhui's social circle in front of Hansol, and if the Gavino leader had any common sense at all, he would know not to mess with him or he'd lose Junhui. Besides, he was a Clan doctor, he was far too valuable to kill off. For now.

"You know, I was planning on staying quiet, but then I saw an interesting report while going through my boss's documents-"

"Investigating your own boss? You sure have some odd hobbies." Hansol scoffed, nudging his empty glass away.

"-Anyhow, I hope you're serious about Jun, but I really can't bring myself to believe that. He looks happy with you right now, that's why I'm not saying anything to him, but you..." Jisoo narrowed his eyes, lowering his tone so that Hansol had a good sense of how serious he was being, "Well, how about I put it this way? You've already taken him away from us once, don't take him away again. That's all I ask." He turned, then paused with a hand on the door handle, "You do understand what I'm saying, right?"

Hansol had gotten up at this point, an unreadable expression on his face, "...You know, sometimes I wonder how you and Wonwoo do it-"

"Don't you go there, this is not about me and Wonwoo-" Jisoo whipped himself around, glaring at the enemy Clan leader with fiery eyes. He took a couple of deep breaths, telling himself not to get winded up by a few petty words. He had grown too far from that to relapse now.

"How did you guys handle heats for all these years?" Hansol's eyes had narrowed with a sly smile on his face, "As an Alpha, I can tell that you're a marked Omega. A marked Omega can only copulate with their Alpha. I have never seen or heard of Wonwoo with a partner, not even one-night stands." Seeing the discomfort on Jisoo's face, the Alpha's grin widened, "Here's an idea. Why don't I let you visit Wonwoo?"

"...With no strings attached?" Jisoo's words were said through gritted teeth, his hands balling inside his pockets.

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

The Omega stared at the Alpha with a hard gaze, his scowl deepening, "Why should I trust you?"

"Well, why shouldn't you?"

"BECAUSE YOU KILLED JUNHUI!" Jisoo suddenly blurted out, glaring at Hansol full-on, "I can forgive everything else, but if you've marked Junhui and then _dare_ to do the same thing again, I swear to god..." he breathed in a couple of times, steadying himself. Then a sly smile slowly crept up his face, almost on par to the one Hansol had just a few seconds earlier, "Well then, how about this? I won't tell Junhui of your little past about, well, I don't know, ending his life, and you will take me to Wonwoo with no strings attached."

Hansol stared at the Fahroni Clan doctor. This wasn't just any normal deal, he knew that Jisoo was taking the chance to see how serious he was about Junhui as well, whether he actually cared if the latter found out about... well, certain things.

Slowly, the Gavino leader slid his gun across the table, "Deal."

* * *

Hansol had brought Jisoo into a branch building of the Gavino's where Wonwoo's office was located. Jisoo figured that was so, it felt too reckless of an act to allow Jisoo's access into the main building under such petty reasons, even if personal relationships did get in the way of business very often. Just look at Mingyu.

At the remembrance of his own Clan leader, Jisoo couldn't help sighing. They all knew his weakness far too well. He was just... too kind.

The Gavino leader indicated towards Wonwoo's door, and then stepped to the far end of the hallway, stating that he was giving them privacy. Half suspicious and half anticipating, Jisoo reached towards the handle. His heart throbbed.

Behind this door... was the person he's been aching for since almost five years ago. When Jisoo thought about it, he couldn't help getting just a little nervous. He wasn't sure what to expect. What if they didn't click anymore? What if Wonwoo had forgotten about him? Self-consciousness took over as Jisoo pondered the little questions he had never thought about up to this moment. But that was because he couldn't even hope to think about them before.

When Minghao came back with Wonwoo's profile after an expedition, Jisoo couldn't believe the Alpha he had been missing had been so near yet so far. But just that thought alone comforted him. If he were still his young self, he would have thrown away everything and rushed to his side, but... time was a curious thing.

Jisoo let out a shaky breath as he opened the door. Sure enough, there he was, lying on the couch. Jisoo forgot to breath a couple of seconds as he stared at the figure before him. It was definitely Wonwoo, but there was a new sense of maturity in him. His boyish features had been replaced by a new layer of masculinity, and maybe it was just the lighting, but Jisoo couldn't help thinking how ethereal the Alpha seemed. Picture perfect.

"...Wonwoo?" Jisoo called softly, walking closer towards the man.

The Alpha slowly opened his eyes, looking around in confusion for a bit before his gaze landed on Jisoo. His dark irises widened, "Jisoo...?"

The older male smiled at the sound of his familiar voice that had been long overdue. Without thinking, Jisoo put his arms around the Alpha's neck and buried his face into his shoulder, "I finally found you..."

Wonwoo's arms had made their way around Jisoo's waist, pulling the Omega closer, a small smile graced his lips as he felt Jisoo's soft locks tickle his cheek, "...I'm back."

"And don't you dare leave me again." Jisoo replied, suddenly pushing away slightly to pout up at the Alpha. The latter merely let out a laugh, and ruffled his hair. The Omega ducked down and nuzzled into the younger male's chest.

A familiar feeling, a familiar touch. Familiar scents mingled together. With his fingers still entwined with Jisoo's, Wonwoo slowly laid the Omega down against the cushions on the couch so that their positions were switched, the Alpha pressed his lips against the older's temple and slowly trailed down to the crook of his neck, whispering against the tender skin, "You've become so beautiful..." _Not that you weren't already._

Jisoo tightened his grip on Wonwoo's shoulder, allowing the Alpha's pomegranate scent to sweep him off his feet, filling his senses completely until he felt as though he were drowning in his lover's embrace.

"Wonwoo... Did you miss me?" Jisoo whispered, feeling the younger male's sweat mingling with his own as they sought for each other, chased after each other, craved for each other.

Keeping a firm grip on Jisoo's waist with one hand, Wonwoo brought Jisoo's hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss upon it, looking into the Omega's eyes earnestly, "More than you can ever imagine."

Jisoo smiled, pulling Wonwoo's head down and connecting their lips together, then playfully drew back so that Wonwoo had to take the initiative. Each time he captured Jisoo's lips, the kiss deepened, until they were both feverishly showering each other with kisses.

"Wonwoo..." Jisoo murmured when they finally caught a breathing break, pressing his forehead against the Alpha's, "Do you love me?"

A soft gaze replaced the original passion and lust in the Alpha's eyes as he brushed his fingertips over Jisoo's cheek, as though he were handling a delicate porcelain doll, "Of course I do. I've loved Hong Jisoo for the past ten years and far beyond."

Jisoo let out a chuckle, kissing the tip of Wonwoo's nose playfully, "Me, too... I love you so much..." _You know that, right?_

* * *

"How are you so sure that you love Wonwoo?" Jihoon had once asked when Jisoo joined him and Chan on one of their garden play dates, the two older males were sitting on the side while the young Omega ran off to frolic in the flowers by himself. Of course, the Beta was keeping a close eye on him (while pretending to be casual).

"What do you mean?" Jisoo had replied, flipping through his patients' files nonchalantly.

The Beta turned to look at him, his headphones resting around his shoulders, "You know what Wonwoo's gift is right?"

"...Mind control."

"So, how can you be sure that he's not just 'making' you love him?"

Jisoo smiled bitterly, resting his chin gently on the back of his hand as he looked across the table at Jihoon, "When we're in love... aren't we all under their control in some way? Chan turned himself over to us for you, and you are actually getting enough fresh air because of him."

Jihoon pondered the matter for a bit, then shrugged. Returning his gaze to the frolicking Omega, who was now making a bouquet out of solely white flowers. Jisoo envied them. They were able to see each other whenever they wanted, but it wasn't so easy in his case.

Or in anyone else's case for that matter, as Jisoo was slowly about to learn.

For now, he felt strangely satisfied. Wonwoo was so close, yet so far. But he could still feel the lingering warmth against his face when Wonwoo whispered, _"See you again soon."_


	4. Paper-Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe we're just all a little insane, and maybe that's what we call 'normal'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to let SoonHao shippers down, but there isn't much romance for these two at the moment because of how Hoshi is (and honestly, Minghao deserves better), their progress will be slightly slower in comparison, but don't worry, pieces will eventually come together.

Minghao had arrived at the orphanage later than most of the other kids. It wasn't really a coincidence either. Minghao always knew he was different from the others, even given the whole 'gift' issue most of them had grown to fear. For one thing, the other kids were all born with their gifts, Minghao had his implanted. Or rather, he was used as an experimental subject to see if it was possible to implant gifts. He was probably the few people out there who had multiple supernatural qualities, most prominently above average strength and lightning fast reflexes.

Of course, the one he took pride in the most was his control of air, or rather, wind. His favorite hobby was riding the air current, away from the tight grasps of gravity, and those who gave him weird glances.

As you can probably tell, it wasn't easy for him to make friends. He knew he was different, and they knew as well. Perhaps they just weren't quite sure where to place him, who knows? And Minghao wasn't exactly the fighter type either so he just let it all pass by quietly.

That was until Seungcheol's gang came along. Minghao was originally in a different division due to his newcomer status, and it wasn't like he had high hopes on finally feeling accepted just because of the "veterans'" appearance. What actually caught him off guard was how nonchalantly Seungcheol had approached him, a look of genuine warmth in his eyes as Minghao curled up in his usual corner, alone, far away from the others, "Do you know why they pick on you?"

Minghao shook his head, hugging his now very much tattered stuffed bunny tighter.

"It's because you're 'different'. But you know what? That's okay. It just means you're stronger."

At the time, Minghao didn't fully understand what the older boy was talking about, but as time went on, the message gradually grew clearer, until it became his main drive in life.

_"Teach me how to fight!"_

* * *

 

Minghao squinted uncomfortably at the sunlight streaming in from the curtains that were abruptly pulled apart. He yawned, sitting up slightly while trying not to wince at the sharp pain coming from his waist, evidence of the rigorous activity from last night. From the bottom of his heart, he truly pitied Omegas. But once that thought crossed his mind, he needed to wonder to himself why he'd allow himself, a perfectly fine Beta, to stoop to this level of dirty work.

"First time?"

He flashed a glare towards the smirking Alpha, who was now sitting on the window ledge, an air of complete nonchalance. Minghao could never stand that about him. Kwon Soonyoung. The very embodiment of a free spirit, both then and now. Even though others may disagree with him, Minghao could tell that the carefree light in his eyes had never left, even after his, well... brainwashing.

"Are you going to hand over the files as promised?" Minghao asked coldly, ignoring the question. It was all just distractions anyway.

"Wow~ you're really serious about your work, huh?" Soonyoung teased- no, taunted, but nonetheless threw a neatly organized folder towards the young Beta. Almost as smooth as he had waltzed himself into Minghao's room, the Alpha gathered up his clothes and got himself dressed by the time he reached the door, looking back to flash another smirk towards the still bedridden Beta's direction, "We should do this again sometime, _Minghao_."

Minghao merely watched as the Alpha made his way out the door, humming in a carefree manner. It was only when he heard the door slam that he allowed himself to let out a shaky breath, clutching the folder tightly against his chest. He wondered how he allowed it to happen. It was originally meant to be a simple spy mission, so how did it end up like this?

What exactly _is_ this?

He only remembered running into Soonyoung on his way out of the base, the necessary files secured, and then...

Minghao groaned into the blankets. And then he let Soonyoung talk him into this little "trade". It was odd. Under usual circumstances, Minghao would die before giving up his pride, even in front of an Alpha, yet he allowed himself to be swayed with little to no persuasion at all. He peeked up from the sheets towards the files set neatly next to him on the bed.

 _Remember, Minghao, they're just pieces of paper... What's really important is that you get back safely._ Mingyu had reminded him before setting him loose on the mission. Minghao couldn't help rolling his eyes at the memory. Sometimes he wondered if Mingyu was aware of his role as a Clan leader.

 _Seriously, he's too kind._ Minghao scoffed to himself, but swept his fingers across the folder's cover, the gaze in his eyes softening. Over the years, Minghao had learned to harden his nerves, to numb "trust", to live for himself, and _only_ himself. But there was one person he was willing to serve under, one person he would protect even at the cost of his life, one person to whom he entrusted his deepest thoughts to, one person whom he deemed to be his only equal in terms of battle strength, one person whom he would entrust his back to in a war... and of course, one person whom he missed the dearest. _Choi Seungcheol..._

 

 

 

Before he even realized, the whole "waking-up-with-Soonyoung" became almost a routine for Minghao. While he received documents in return, he couldn't help feeling that the exchange just wasn't on equal grounds. In the first place, he still wasn't sure why he was even allowing this "relationship". Of course, to Soonyoung it was probably just a game, but Minghao wasn't like that. To him, it was just "work", right?

"Here." Soonyoung handed the stack of documents, neatly stapled, across the bed towards Minghao, who was still snugly wrapped up in his blankets.

"Wow, I didn't even have to ask this time." Minghao raised an eyebrow, but took the documents quickly before the enemy agent could potentially change his mind. Reaching a hand under his pillow, the Beta handed over his own documents as an exchange.

"Thanks, babe." Soonyoung grinned, taking the documents and smoothly landing a kiss on the younger's forehead in the process.

Minghao merely rolled his eyes at the pet name, but lowered his head slightly out of embarrassment. He should really get his feelings under control. Feelings? What feelings? He wasn't supposed to have those. Right?

As always, Soonyoung left the room immediately after taking care of his side of business, leaving Minghao to clean after himself. The action was almost cold, but whenever Minghao finally got himself out of bed, he couldn't help lingering his fingers over the spot Soonyoung had laid in last night. It's already been hours since the Alpha left, and maybe it was just Minghao's imagination, but there was no doubt, warmth.

"...Well, he _is_ a fire user." Minghao murmured to himself, withdrawing his hand.

Being the only two people with elemental powers, Soonyoung had taken great care of Minghao while they were back in the orphanage. But to be honest, Minghao never really had any interaction with the kid outside of their little training sessions. In addition, Minghao relied on his own physical strength more than his "gift", so in Minghao's mind, he knew that he owed Soonyoung nothing.

But then why? Why couldn't he refuse him?

* * *

 

"Have you ever wished you weren't a Beta?" Jihoon suddenly said one day when Minghao delivered coffee to his work space. Initially alarmed by the question, Minghao arched an eyebrow at the Clan hacker. But before the younger could respond, Jihoon continued, "Never mind, forget I asked."

Tracing the older's gaze, Minghao looked towards the glass screen and into the pure white room that belonged to Chan. He had always thought it looked similar to a container they'd have at a mental hospital, so he would invite Chan outside every chance he could get. He even let him ride on tailwinds when he was in a good mood. Said Omega was sleeping soundly on the bed, probably pooped out from his routinely checkup they were supposed to perform on all matured prisoners in case of... "accidentals".

_Lee Chan. "Dino." Said to be the youngest member of the enemy Clan. Role unknown._

Minghao shook his head. He needed to fix the habit of racking up everyone's information, especially when this kid was already pretty much considered "one of them". _Is he really though? I mean, he's still in a cage, and he's receiving separate checkups..._ A shiver shot down Minghao's spine, and he turned to see Jihoon giving him a warning glare, as though he could read what was going on in Minghao's mind. Still, the younger attempted to stand firm, "Woozi, I hope you know how to keep personal feelings and work apart."

"Don't you worry about me." Jihoon responded coolly, sliding his cup closer, "I'm sure you have your own problems with that."

The younger Beta couldn't help tensing up even more. It was true that he wouldn't hesitate to entrust Jihoon with his life when it came to secret keeping, but sometimes he wondered just _how much_ he actually knew. Especially when it came to things regarding Kwon Soonyoung. It wasn't a secret among their circle that Jihoon has- well, _had_ a crush on the fire master. Even if Soonyoung didn't reciprocate his feelings, there was no doubt that the two still had a special "bond", as though they knew what the other was up to at all times. While Minghao wasn't sure if that remained the case after Soonyoung's kidnapping, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if it did.

"...Woozi, how much do you know?"

The techie sighed deeply, removing the cap from his head and revealing unruly messy brown hair. Minghao chewed on the bottom of his lip, wondering if it was an inappropriate question to ask after all, but then again, it was his own business. If anything, Jihoon was the one who should be nervous.

"Nothing... seriously, _nothing_ is going to come out of you liking that guy. I understand that it's your job to keep tabs on him, but just remember, Kwon Soonyoung is a dangerous character."

Minghao nodded slowly, remembering back to the scene in their conference room where Mingyu announced the decision to assign their best fighter to extort information from Soonyoung. While none of the others were too thrilled, they all agreed that Minghao was the only one capable enough to handle that psycho arsonist. Junhui, in particular, had tried to get Mingyu to change plans.

_"I don't like this."_

_"You never like any of my ideas." Mingyu retorted, crossing his arms on the desk in almost a childish manner. Their oversized puppy of a Clan leader always had a habit of reducing himself to a whiny pup when Junhui was involved, except in life-and-death situations._

_Junhui had scowled, glancing briefly at Minghao before continuing, "Hoshi is an absolute_ sadist _..."_

_"Which is why I'm sending in The8, who is equally an absolute sadist." Mingyu replied smoothly._

_"Well..." The youngest Beta could tell that Junhui was trying to find some way to explain how Minghao still retained some sense of humanity while it was a stretch to even call Soonyoung a "person". But seeing as Jihoon was present, their second-in-command seemed to be having trouble saying anything bad about their former childhood friend._

_"It's fine, Jun, I can handle it." Minghao spoke up, putting a hand on the Omega's shoulder reassuringly. He's never failed a mission even once before, and he didn't plan on breaking that streak anytime soon._

_Junhui looked at the younger male a while longer before sighing, "I trust you..."_

_It was just another mission to wring out information from the enemy's mouths themselves, how hard could it be?_

Very. Fucking. Hard.

Minghao had heard stories, the current Soonyoung wasn't an unknown character at all. He was infamous for showing no mercy or respect towards his "prey", obliterating an entire Clan all on his own at one point. While the Beta hadn't felt sorry for said Clan as they had a reputation of taking Omegas and children as hostages, but what really irked them all was how Soonyoung had simply obliterated them as well, without batting a single eye. Rumors says that he left the scene whistling to himself and wondering what to get for dinner.

Honestly, Minghao didn't understand himself why he was taking such a long time with the mission, there were plenty of instances where he could have easily assassinated Soonyoung if he wanted to. _No, the mission is to gather information..._ "But I'm already done with that part." Shouldn't the next step be to cover up his tracks?

 _Stop, Minghao, think._ The Clan assassin took a couple of deep breaths, ignoring how Jihoon appeared to be still observing him at his desk. _You've had plenty of chances to assassinate him, which means he also had plenty of chances to assassinate you. What gives?_

"You still call him Soonyoung." Minghao mused out loud just as Jihoon was turning away as a sign of dismissal. He wasn't going to allow himself to leave the office with his own information wrung out and leaving with nothing from the other. It was his pride playing games with him again.

Jihoon's gaze dropped, and the older Beta turned back to the monitor in front of him, one hand clutched tightly around the now lukewarm coffee cup. "Habits are much harder to kill than people."

* * *

 

"But consider this," Seokmin said, breaking off a third of a loaf of bread and handing it to Minghao, "what if we have it all wrong? Hoshi wasn't brainwashed, he just... changed. It's not completely impossible, right?"

Minghao remained silent as he chewed on the piece of bread. It wasn't the first time this question had been brought up, but Minghao was going to let the older members discuss it. To be completely honest, he honestly didn't care at all what the case was regarding the enemy Clan's Alpha assassin. It seemed that the others were pretty concerned about finding a way to retrieve their old companions, and it might be insensitive to say it out loud, but he honestly couldn't care less. He was good with whatever got the job done.

"While that _is_ a possibility, I want to see how my theory works out first." Mingyu responded coolly.

Uncomfortable silence took over the next 20 minutes, until Jisoo decided to excuse himself. Minghao took that as a sign that this awkward lunch break was over, and excused himself as well, closely followed by Junhui.

Halfway down the hallway, Minghao realized that the Omega seemed to be following a little too closely at his heels and whipped around, accidentally (or not, they'll never know) hitting the older's nose in the process. "Ow! Minghao!"

"What is it?"

"I was just trying to smell you!"

It was moments like these that made Minghao wonder why the heck he even talked to the Omega.

"Okay. Totally not creepy at all. Gotcha."

Junhui rolled his eyes, dismissing Minghao's usual borderline condescending sarcasm. He knew it was just a defense mechanism anyway, deep down the cute little Beta that used to follow him around everywhere was still there- nope, nah, that guy's gone. Junhui strongly blamed Seungcheol and Jihoon for, in their words, "toughening" him up. "It's not what you think, I just thought I smelled apples." _Again._ He added to himself.

"You're just hungry."

"Considering the fact that we just got out of an awkward lunch meet, I seriously doubt that."

The two continued to stare at each other for what seemed like ages. If passersby didn't know them better they'd think they were in love or some shit. The Beta sighed, he knew that Junhui wasn't the type to budge once he's locked onto something, but at the same time, he knew the Omega was going to be a  complete worrywart in his stead. Not to mention he also risked getting told off to Mingyu, and that was an even bigger headache to deal with.

"I... I bought a new shampoo." He could tell the older wasn't the least convinced. "You no like?"

"Minghao, come on," the Beta hissed slightly at the sound of his real name, but Junhui ignored it, "So you got marked, whatever-"

"Wait, what do you mean I got marked?"

"Well, I mean-"

"I'm a _Beta_." It took all of Minghao's willpower to keep the panic out of his voice as Junhui's puzzled look dissolved into horror.

"Minghao, who did you sleep with?"

"I didn't-"

"Who _the fuck_ did you sleep with?" Minghao winced as Junhui's nails dug into his shoulders, sparks practically going off in his eyes as his gaze bored into the younger's. He knew by then that whomever Junhui deemed to be responsible for "corrupting" his precious "little brother" was a goner, he needed to choose his words wisely. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to ask Jihoon to bring me the information for all the goddamn Alphas in the whole fucking world with an apple scent."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Just try me." Junhui growled, fingers digging deeper.

There was no escaping it, usually Minghao had no problem dealing with the Omega's overprotective nature, but when he was in their "boss" state, he had to bow down his head like any other subordinate.

"It was Kwon Soonyoung... But I didn't know he marked me, I swear!" The Beta added when a new veil of darkness shrouded itself around Junhui.

"Well... you better hope to God that this is just a misunderstanding, though I really doubt how it could be." With his last sentence snarled out, the Omega slid his hand down Minghao's arm, resuming a tight grip around his wrist, "Let's go."

"Hold on- go where?!"

"Relax. We're just going to meet with Joshua, make sure everything's okay, and then figure out how the hell it's even possible for a Beta to be permanently marked."

Minghao's blood ran cold. _Permanently_ marked. The word permanent had always held ominous meaning for him, in the sense that he didn't believe in it, nor was he willing to find out its validity. The Beta allowed his hand to go limp in Junhui's hold, and just hoped to any deity that Jisoo possessed some sort of magic that would allow this all to be a bad dream.

* * *

 

"You know, the two of us are kind of alike."

"How?"

"We're both loners with elemental powers, not to mention we're the top fighters of our respective Clans."

"Mhm. This isn't the part where you tell me 'let's join forces', I say 'never', and we brawl it out, right?" Minghao rolled his eyes as Soonyoung did his usual booming laugh that hadn't changed even after the brainwashing claim.

Hopping off the flagpole and taking a seat next to Minghao on the roof, Soonyoung grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. It didn't look quite as menacing as the Alpha had probably intended, and it was moments like these that made Minghao wonder if the Alpha really changed at all.

 _Mind games._ Jihoon's voice sounded. _Soonyoung has always been a master of that, and it's what makes him truly frightening. Whatever happens, you have to trust Mingyu, okay?_

 _But, hyung._ Minghao found himself fighting back in his mind as Soonyoung's face loomed closer, his lips inches from the Beta's ear. _It's not Mingyu that I don't trust._ He knew he wasn't the only one with doubts, but at the same time, no one could really say anything about it.

After all, a dead man's words could only mean so much, but they weigh too much.

* * *

 

**[Preview]**

**"Who are you?"**

**"Oh, I'm Seungkwan. You wouldn't know me."**

**Seokmin arched an eyebrow as the Omega fidgeted and squirmed suspiciously. His hand gripped around the whistle and wondered if he should alert Jihoon of a trespasser.**

**"...Wait, have I... met you at some club before?" The Alpha asked slowly before the Omega could scurry away and back to whichever border he came from.**

**Much to his surprise, a sad look briefly crossed the otherwise cheerful looking Omega's face. "Hm... maybe."**

 

**Jisoo heaved a deep sigh. Cases like these were the trickiest of all, even Jeonghan wouldn't be able to form a crack in them. There was a reason why Seokmin had always been considered the most widely feared Gifted one, but at the same time, he wasn't.**

**There were two "Lee Seokmin"s, yet at the same time, he was just one person. And it was probably at that point in his life when Seokmin decided to become the nonsensical being that he was now.**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Seeing as I have multi-chapter stories for JunHoon, SoonHui, and JunGyu, seemed wrong to not have one for JunSol.


End file.
